Chiropractic table.



J. K. GILKERSON.

CHIROPRACTIC TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.16, 1914. v

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. K. GILKERSON.

CHIROPRACTIC TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. 1914.

Patented Feb. 15,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Mime-5: /72 venibr Jami: flax/87w JJK. GILKERSON.

CHIROPRACTIC TABLE;

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 1914.

Patnted Feb. 15,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

31/726265565. /72 van/07' JEMZI 65%22500 not? thigh rests inclined downwardly toward J'CHN K. GILKEBSON, OF LQS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CHIROPRACTIC TABLE.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

Application filed February 16, 1914. Serial No. 818,908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN K. GILKERsON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Chiropractic Table, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tables upon which patients of practitioners of the art of chiropractic are placed for the adjusting of their vertebrae.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved table of this kind by means of which the body of the patient may be readily adjusted into various positions and supported in such positions in order to bring the various vertebrae into such positions that the chiropractor may conveniently and properly work upon them so as to restore them to their normal and proper positions.

Other objects will appear from the following description.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l is a side elevation of the table and a patient resting thereon with the several sections of the top thereof resting in horizontal alinement and the vertebrae of the patient resting in straight position for preliminary examination of the vertebrae and general adjusting thereof. Fig. 2 is a side view of the upper portion of the table and a patient resting thereon with the head rest of the table and head of the patient lowered for palpation and adjusting of the cervical vertebrze. Fig. 3 is a side view of the upper portion of the table and a patient resting thereon with the chest rest of the table and the-chest of the patient raised for palpation and adjusting of the thoracic vertebrae. Fig. 4 is a side view of the upper portion of the table and a patient resting thereon with the abdominal and thigh rests inclined upwardly toward each other and the abdomen and thigh of the patient elevated for palpation of the lumbar vertebrae. Fig. 5 is an end view. of the forward end of the table and patient resting thereon as illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a side View of the upper portion of the table and a patient resting thereon, with the abdominal and each other and the abdomen and thigh of the patient lowered, for adjusting lumbar and lower thoracic region. Fig. 7 is a sectional View taken on line ww of Fig.

8, showing the thigh rest and the mechamsm whereby said rest is adjusted and supported. Fig. 8 is a plan view of what is porting position and the chest and abdominal rests shown in dotted lines. Fig. 12 is a transverse vertical section taken on line m w of Fig. 11. I

The table supporting frame comprises a base member 1, --front end upright box member 2, rails 3, connecting said base member and said front end upright box member,

and rear end upright member 4, which is slidably mounted on said rails. At the top of the member 2 is located a head rest 5, made in two parts 6 which meet at the center of the table and are hinged respectively to the side walls of the member 2 so as to swing inwardly and outwardly. The parts 6 of the head rest are engaged by and maintained in horizontal alinement with each other or lowered inwardly within the member 2, by a slide 10 mounted on the member 2 by pins 11 which extend through slots 12 in the slide and into the member 2. The slide is provided with a pair of notches 13 in which the lowermost corners of the parts 6 are adapted to rest when the slide 10 and the parts 6 are lowered. The slide 10 is held in its uppermost position or in several lower positions by spring latch 15 and ratchet 16. The latch 15 is engaged by one arm of bell crank lever 17, the other arm .of which lever is engaged by a sliding bolt 18, which is provided with a handle 20, which extends through and rests outside the slide 10 adapted to be grasped by the hand and lifted, whereby the latch is disengaged from the ratchet 16 to lower the slide and the parts 6 of the head rest 5.

A chest rest 25 is hinged at its forward end to the upper end of a slidable frame 26. The upper end of the frame 26 is inclined and the chest rest is adapted to swing on its hinges and rest on said inclined end so that the rest' may incline downwardly toward the rear of the table. The lower end of the frame 26 rests between the rear wall 27 of the frame member 2 and a block 28 secured to the frame member 2, and the upper portion of the frame is provided with slots 29, through which extend a rod 30 secured in the side walls of the frame member 2 whereby said frame 26 is slidably mounted in the frame member 2. A ratchet is secured to the frame 26, which is adapted to beengaged by a spring latch 36 mounted in block 28, to maintain the chest rest in a raised position. A lever 37 pivoted at 38 in frame member 2 is connected to the latch 36 and extends through the side wall of the frame member 2 and is provided with a handle on its outer end to be grasped by the hand to swing the lever 37 forwardly to disengage the latch 36 from the ratchet 35 to allow the frame 26 and chest rest 25 to drop by gravity to its initial position. An abdominal rest 40 is hinged at its forward end to a pair of levers 41, fulcrumed to the frame member 2 upon rod 30, the forward ends of which levers extend downwardly within the frame member 2 and are engaged by spring latch arm 43 fulcrumed at 44 to the frame member 2 whereby the rear rest supporting portions of the levers are prevented from swinging downwardly out of their uppermost supporting positions. A bar 45 is slidably mounted upon the upper edges of the forward portions of the levers 41, to

which is connected the upper ends of springs 46, the lower ends of which are connected to frame member 2, against the tension of which springs the rear portions of levers 41 and the rest 40 are adapted to swing downwardly. A link 48 connects the bar 45 to a lever 50 fulcrumed at 51, to one of the levers 41, and provided with a handle52, which extends out beyond the levers 41 and may be grasped by the hand and swung so as to draw the bar 45 along the levers 41 through the medium of the link 48, toward or away from the fulcrum of said levers so as to adjust the tension of the springs 46. Lugs 54 are provided at intervals on one of the levers 41, which the lever 50 is adapted to engage to maintain the bar 45 in different positions on the levers 41 and the springs 46 at different tensions. An arm 55 is connected at its forward end to the latch arm 43, and its rear end rests on top of rear wall 27 of frame member 2, when the latch arm engages the levers 41; Said arm 55 is provided with a handle 57 which may be grasped by the hand to push the arm forward to disengage the latch arm 43 from the levers 41. Said arm is provided with a tooth 58, adapted to engage the wall 27 when the arm is pushed forward, whereby the latch arm 43 is maintained out of engagement with the levers 41. A bar 60 is hinged to the rest 40 at 61 and lies under the-rest flat against the rear ends of levers 41 when the rest 40 lies fiat against said levers. The free end of said bar is adapted to swing down and rest in notches 62 in the rear ends of levers 41, when the rest 40 is swung up on its hinges, whereby the rear end of the rest 40 is held in a raised position with relation to the levers 41. The rear end upright member 4 is maintained on the rails 3 in sliding alinement therewith by cleats 65 secured to said member, which engage the inner sides of the rails 3 and thereby prevent lateral displacement of the'member from the rails and are provided with lower flanges 66 whichengage the lower edges of the rails and prevent the member being lifted off the rails. A worm toothed rack 70 is secured at its respective ends to base member 1 and rails 3 below the member 4 and lies parallel to said rails; Upon a shaft 71, journaled in bracket 72 secured to the member 4, is secured a worm wheel 75 which meshes with worm rack '70. A beveled pinion 6 secured on shaft 71 meshes with beveled pinion 77, secured on a shaft 78 journaled in frame member 4, and provided witha crank 20 outside the member 4 by means of which shaft 78 is turned to rotateworm '75 through the medium of beveled pinions 77 and 76 to cause the worm wheel 75 to travel along the rack 76 and the frame member 4 to travel along the rails 3. The engagement of the worm and rack locks the frame member in any position along the tracks 3 when the worm is at rest.

A rectangular frame 82 is ."ulcrumed at 83 to the frame member 4, and its rear end is adapted to rest on top of the rear wall 84 of said frame member 4 in a horizontal position. In the rear end of frame 82 is a ratchet 85, which is engaged by spring latch 86 to lock the frame 82 in horizontal position. To the forward end of the latch 86 is connected the upper end of a lever 87 which is pivoted at 88 to frame member 4 and is provided with a foot piece 89, which pro jects out beyond the rails 3 and the frame member 4, upon which footpiece the operator places his foot and presses down to swing the lever and draw the latch 86 out of engagement with ratchet 85. The latch 86 is mounted in a block 90 and rests in a groove 91 in said block which groove is wider at its forward end than at its rear end to receive a shoulder 92 at the forward end of the latch to permit the latch to engage the ratchet 85. A spring 93 is connected at its respective ends to the latch 86 and, block 90 and lies at such an angle that when the latch is drawn forward and the shoulder 92 is withdrawn fronr the block, said spring draws the latch to one side of the enlarge forward end of the groove 91 so that the shoulder 92 engages the forward end of the block, (Fig. 8), there being suflicient looseness at the pivot 88 and the point of connection between the latch and lever to permit such lateral movement of the latch, whereby the latch is maintained out of engagement with the ratchet.

The latch 86 may be caused to engage the I ratchet 85, by the o erator upon pulling up wardly upon the 001: piece 89, which, by reason of the looseness at the pivot 88 and the connection of the lever 87 and latch 86, causes the upper end of the lever to swing in such direction that it moves the forward end of the latch into such position that the shoulder 92 disengages the block 90 and registers with the forward end of the groove 91, whereupon the spring 93 draws the latch rearwardly and the shoulder 92 enters the forward end of the groove 91 and the latch on ages the ratchet 85.' Pins 94 engage the bloc 90 and limit the rear movement of the latch 86 so that the engaging part of the latch will rest in alinement with the ratchet 85, when the ratchet is elevated. A thigh rest 95 is hinged to the rear end of the frame 82 at 96 and is adapted to lie flat upon said frame but the forward end thereof may be swung upwardly on the hinges 96 when desirable. A bar 97 is hin ed to the rest at 98 and lies under the rest at against the front end of the frame 82, when the rest lies flat against the frame. The free end of the bar is adapted to swing down and rest in notches 98 in the front end of the frame 82 when the forward end of the rest is swung inwardly, to hold the forward end of the rest in elevated position with relation to said frame.

In operation, the patient lies forwardly upon the rests 5, 25, 40 and 95 of the table as indicated in Figs. 1 to 6. inclusive. In Fig.

1 said rests are in horizontal alinement with each other, which supports the patient in position for preliminary examinations and for general adjusting of the vertebrae. In

order to place the cervical vertebrae in position for palpation and adjusting, the handle 20 is lifted, causing the latch 15 to disengage the ratchet 16, and the slide 10 to drop down, and the parts 6 of the head rest to swing downwardly within the frame member 2, and in notches 13, which lowers the head of the patient and spreads apart the cervical vertebrae. The parts 6 may be lowered to different elevations and held in such positions by the engagement of the latch 15 with the ratchet 16. This position of the head rest and head of the patient is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawing.

For palpation and adjusting of the thoracic vertebrae, the chest rest 25 is grasped by the hand of the operator and lifted, which is permitted by the escapement of the ratchet 35, from the latch 36, and as the rest 25 is lifted, the chest of the patient is lifted, which spreads apart the thoracic vertebrae. The engagement of the latch 36 with the ratchet 35 maintains the rest 25 in difierent elevations. This 'position of the rest 25 and the patients chest is illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. For palpation of the lumbar vertebrae, the free ends of the rests 40 and 95 are swung upwardly on hinges of said rests, and the bars 60 and 97 are swung downwardly on their hinges into engagement with the notches 62 and 98 of the levers 41 and frame 82 respectively, which supports the body of the patient in the position indicated in Fig. 4. For adj usting the lumbar and lower thoracic region of the vertebrae, the operator grasps the handle 57 and pushes the arm 55 forward, disengaging the latch 43 from the levers 41, which allows the rear ends of the levers 41 and rest 40 to swing downwardly on the fulcrum 30. The operator also places his foot on handle 89 and pushes downwardly on said handle with his foot until the latch 86 disengages the ratchet 85, and the forward end of the frame 82 and rest 95 swing downwardly upon fulcrum 83, which places the bodyof the patient in position shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing. The relative positions of the dlfferent rests of the table shown in the drawings are the most important positions thereof, but as each rest is mounted independently of the other rests, and as the thlgh rest is so mounted that it may be moved towardor away from the other rests, it is obvious that the rests may be brought into other relative positions.

What I claim is:

1. A chiropractic table comprising an abdominal rest, a thigh rest, pivoted supportrests, means for holding the members in horizontal position, means to hold the membars in downwardly and inwardly inclined position, and means for raising the opposed ends of the abdominal and thigh restsand supporting them in upwardly and inclined posltionrelative to the pivoted supporting means therefor.

the center of the table, a vertical ratchet bar secured to one of said side walls, and a ving members for the thigh and abdominal spring pressed latch to engage said ratchet and support the'slide.

4-. In a chiropractic table, an inverted U frame positioned in a vertical plane, a rest on top of said frame, a vertical ratchet bar.

rigidly secured to the frame, a spring pressed latch adapted to engage the ratchet bar to lock the same against a downward movement and a pivoted operating lever connected to said latch.

. 5. In a table of the character described, a member having a pair of side walls, a horizontal shaft supported between said walls, a pair of levers journaled intermedi ate therein, on said shaft, a rest supported on the rear ends of the levers and pivoted spring pressed ratchet bars to engage the forward ends of the levers to lock them against upward movement.

6. In a chiropractic table, a rear member having a pair of side walls and a rear wall, a shaft supported transversely on the side walls, a rectangular frame journaled between its transverse center and its forward end upon said shaft, a rest mounted on theframe, said frame being adapted to engage the rear wall of the rear member when in a horizontal position, a guide block rigidly secured between the said side walls, and a spring pressed latch, slidable through said block longitudinally of the frame, the frame being formed with ratchet teeth for engagement by the latch.

7. In a table of the character described, a rear member having side walls and a rear wall, a rectangular frame, a shaft supported adjacent the upper edges of said side walls to revolubly support the frame, said. frame being formed in its rear member with ratchet teeth, a guide block rigidly secured between said side walls in advance of the ratchet teeth, said guide block being formed with a wedge shaped transverse notch, a latch slidable through said notch to engage the ratchet teeth and formed with a shoul-- der and a spring secured at one end to the latch and at its other end to said block to draw the latch rearwardly and to one side I of the notch.

8. In a table of the character described, a rear member having side walls and a rear wall, a rectangular frame, a shaft supported adjacent the upper edges of said side walls to revolubly support the frame, said frame being, formed in its rear member with draw the latch rearwardly and to one side of the notch, and a foot operated lever for disengaging the latch from the ratchet teeth.

9. In a table of the type disclosed, a chest rest, a vertically movable slide upon which said. rest is pivoted, means for sustaining the slide and rest at different elevations, the rear end of said chest rest being adapted to swing downwardly slightly.

10. In a table of the type disclosed, a support, a frame pivoted to said support, an abdominal rest on said frame, a slide on said frame, a spring connected at its respective ends to said support and said slide, and means for moving said slide to different positions along said frame to vary the tension of the spring with respect to the frame.

11. In a table of the type disclosed, a head rest, a slide for engaging said rest to hold the rest in its normal position means for lowering said slide to lower said head rest, and. means for locking the slide in raised and lowered position to maintain the head rest in normal or lowered position.

12. In a table of the type disclosed, a main frame, a rest frame slidably mounted on said main frame, a rest on said rest frame, a worm mounted on said rest frame, a worm rack secured to said main frame, which rack and worm mesh with each other, and means for rotating said worm to move said rest frame and rest along said main frame.

In testimony whereof, I have hereuntoset my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 10th day of February, 1914.

JOHN K. GILKERSON.

In presence of- ALAN FRANKLIN, LORRAINE E. DURROW. 

